Submersible-boat construction.



' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L Y. SPEAR & H. E. GRIESHABER.

SUBMERSIBLE BOAT CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED mm. 5, 19-11.

Patented Sept. 2, 191-3.

WITNESSES L. Y. SPEAR & H. B. GRIESHABER.

SUBMERSI BLE BOAT CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1911. V 1,072,393. Patented Sept. 2,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

INVENTORS'.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

L. Y. SPEAR &- 1. 5. GRIESHABER.

- SUBMERSIBLE BOAT CONSTRUCTION."

APPLICATION FILED AUG.6,1911. I

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

- INVENTORS, 'at

3 SHEETS-SHEETS.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY;

" UNITED STATES, PATENT orrron. a,

LAWRENCE Y. SPEA -Ann Hose E, omnsrmnnn, or New 1201113021, oonm'zo rrcur,

' s BMEnsmLn-Bom' oonsriwerron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Application filed Au ust 5, 1911. Serial No. 642,457. a

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that we, LAWVRENGE-IY. Srn-AR tains to make and use the same.

The invention relates particularly to an improved navigating equipment, and arrangement of navigating'stations, as well. as to an improved structural arrangement and combination of parts I comprising, and inclosedwithin the upper midship section of. a submersible vessel, such; as a submersible torpedo boat.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a submersible vessel which when submerged may be navigated entirely from within the hull, and which is also preferably provided with an elevated navigating bridge on the superstructure, as well as with an intermediate pressure resisting tgwer adapted for use as a trimming or surface navigating station; to provide a construction whereinv the hull maybe completely separated by suitable closures from the projecting compartments thereon, including the fairwater and preferably the trimming tower, during submerged running, so that the presence of 35. any of the officers or crew within these pro.-

jecting parts is not required during that time; to decrease. theresistance of the projeeting'parts, especially while running submerged, by inclosing them in a tapered 'fair 40 water in such a way as not to add buoyancy to the upper part of the vessel when submerged; to utilize this fairwatcr as a support for the navigating bridge; and to provide a passage, in addition to the passage through the trimming tower, to the navigating bridge. In carrying out these objects, in the preferred manner, practically all of the many parts necessarily projecting above the hull of the vessel are inclosed .in a

tapered housing so constructed as to consti- "tute a fairwater which i's intended to fill with. water during submergence, and a hatch-trunk or [passageway is provided through this housing from the main hatch to the navigating bridge on top .of the housing, which hatch-trunlris convertiblefrom.

ratentease tle, 1913;

a water-tight passageway, when the main 1 'hatch-trunk-is open, to a self-filling and emptying compartment of the fairwater,

when the main hatch is closed;

e have illustrated, the preferred form of the invention in the accompanying drawing; in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the boatafloat; Fig. 2 a plan amidshipf on a larger scale; Fig. 3 a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 a detail showing the hatch cover and scupper closure for the hatchtrunk. v

As is customary in vessels of this type, the vessel shown has a strong hull A constructed to withstand the pressure of deep submergence, and a super-structure B running the .lengththereof and having a flat top serving as the main deck when the vessel is running on the surface. Supported on the strong hull to constitute an upward projection therefrom, and itself so constructed as to withstand the pressure of deep submergence, is the observation tower C which in the present esign is of small volume so as to afford room but for one or two men. This tower has at the base a contracted opening into theinterior of the vessel, which opening is j provided with a water excluding closure 0, whereby it may if desired be shut ofi from the interior of the vessel. Arranged about a series of port holes d, constituting observation ports; and in the top of the tower is a hatchway having the water excluding closure 0. The tower in general is to be used as a trimming station'and is occupied by the commanding otlicer while filling the tanks, including the fore and aft trimming tanks, preparatory to submergence. It may also be used as a navigating station.

The vessel is provided with two periscopes D and E both of which extend down "within the hull of the vessel. The forward periscope is intended for the navigator. and with it he is enabled to navigate the vessel when submerged. The aft perismipwis intended for the lookout, who-is expected at all times to make the necessary observations of the entire horizon to detect. the presence of any ships or obstructions with which the the upper end of the observation tower arev vessel might collide, and in time of war to keep. a lookout for the enemy.

way from the interior of the hull to the bridge the main hatch F with itssurrounding hatch-trunk H is provided.

To decrease the resistance in running, particularly in the submerged state, aswell as to provide a hatch-trunk of a permanent,

of persons. This housing or fairwater' is supported on thesu erstructure B and is open to the .sea so tat when the vessel is submerged it, is filled with water and does not increase the buoyancy. In the construction shown the hatch-trunk H is formed by partitioning off the portion of the fairwater immediately above the hatch, so that the hatch-trunk constitutes a part of the housing. The hatch is provided with the usual hatch cover F having mechanism for locking it in the closed position. In order that the hatch-trunk 'may also fill with water when the vessel is submerged it is provided with one or more s'c'upper holes a. a As best shown in Fi 4, the scupper hole has a cover e operative y connected to the hatch cover F in such a manner that when the hatchcover is open the scupper' is closed and when the hatch cover is closed the scupper is open. As a result of this construction the water is excluded from the hatch-trunk so long as the hatchcover is open, but during submergence, when the hatch cover is closed, the hatch-trunk is-open to the sea. and is, like the fairwater, self-bailing and self-fillin g. The top of the hatch-trunk may be closed by the hinged cover-plate h, which is made,-

strong enough to constitute a part of the navigating bridge whenit is in the closed position. n

As will be seen the entire top of the housing G is fiat, so as to constitute a navigating bridge, and is preferably provided in the region of the observation tower with the laterally extending platform 9 which may be folded back when desired. In convenient} position on this navigating bridge is ,mounted a standard 0 supporting an electrical steering gear controller, hand gear and compass, as well as an engine room telegraph, so that the vessel may be navigated from the bridge. 'In the preferred construction this standard is madepart of an upstanding fair-,

water M surrounding the forward periscope; and the aft periscope is surrounded by a like upstanding fairwater N as shown.

Forward and aft ventilators, K and L, leading to'the interior of the hull are also inclosed Within the housing G as shown, and

these ventilators will be provided in the constituting the navigating. 'bridge capa le of accommodating a numberusual way with emergency closing valves at the point where they pass through vthe hull.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that when the vessel is running on the surface it can be navigated from the is completely submerged. During the initial operation of filling the main submergence tanks, which will ordinarily bring the water line to above the level of the main deck, and

the operation of bringing the vessel to an even keel by admitting water in proper pro.- portion to the forward and aft trimming tanks, an officer will be stationed in the observation tower C to observe the degree of submergence and the trim of the vessel and to give the necessary orders for the proper fillin gence the o cer may retire from the observation tower,-cl osing the hatch 0 to shut off.

the passage from the tower to the interior of the vessel, if desired; and the vessel will then be navigated by the ofiicer stationed at the periscope E. In this way we provide a vessel which may be navigated with the maximumsafety when submerged, and which may be navigated with the maximum convenience when running on. the surface, and this is attained by apermanent structure available for use as a navigating bridge, 100

and affording free passage from the bridge to the interior of the vessel when on the surface, which structure is nevertheless of such character that it does not increase the buoyancy submerged and therefore does not re 105 quire the provision of additional ballast'to destroy such buoyancy.

While the tower primarily intended as a trimming station only it may be equipped with navigating adjuncts and used as a 119 navigating station.

' What we claim is:

1. In a submersible vessel, the combination with a water-tight hull constructed to withstand the pressure of-deep sublnergence, and 11 5' an upstan'din observation tower also constructed to wlthstand'such p'ressure,of upstanding periscope tubes and ventilators outside of said tower, and a self-bailing and fairwater about said tower, periscopes and ventilators.

2. In asubmersible vessel, the combination with a water-tight hull constructed to withstand the-pressure of deep submergence, and 125 an upstanding observation tower also'eon-' structed to withstand such pressurefof upstanding periscope tubes and ventilators outside of said tower, and a self-bailing and self-filling housing shaped to constitute a 13( of the tanks. After submerself-filling housing shaped to constitute a fairwater about said tower, periscopes and ventilators, said housing having a flat top constituting a navigating bridge.

3. In a submersible vessel, a strong hull constructed to withstand the pressure of deep submergence, an. upstanding self-bailing and self-filling housing thereon shaped to constitute a fairwater, a navigating bridge on top of said housing, and an observation tower about which said housing is built, constructed to withstand the pressure of deep submergence and communicating with the hull.

4. In a submersible vessel a strong hull constructed to withstand the pressure of deep submergence, an upstanding self-bail ing and self filling housing thereon shaped to constitute a fairwater, a navigating bridge on top of said housing, a trimming tower about which said housing is built, said tower having observation openings andbeing constructed to withstand the pressure of deep submergence and communicating with the interior of the hull, and a navigators peri scope extending through said housing into the interior of the vessel to a navigators station.

5. In a submersible vessel a strong hull,

constructed to withstand the pressure of deep submergence, an upstanding self-baiL ing and self-filling housingthereon shaped to constitute a fairwater, a navigating bridge on top of said housing, a trimming tower about which said housing is built, said tower having observation openings and beingconstructed to withstand thepressure of deep.

submergence and communicating with the interior of the hull, a navigators periscope extending through said housing into the interior of the vessel to a .navig'atofls station, and a supplemental periscope also extending through said housing into the interior of the vessel for theiuse oil a lookout.

6. A subinersiblevessel having a strong hull adapted to withstand the pressure of deep submergence, an elevated navigating bridge, a self-bailing and self-filling housing shaped to constitute a fairwater and supporting said bridge, an observation tower about which said housing is built, a hatch in the hull and a hatch-trunk within the housing leading from the hatch to the bridge.

7. A submersible vessel having a strong hull adapted to withstand the pressure of deep submergence, an elevated navigating bridge, a self-bailing and self-filling hous ing shaped to constitute a fairwater and supporting said bridge, an observation tower about which said housing is built,-a hatch in the hull, a hatclrtrunk within the housing leading from the hatch to the bridge, said hatch trunk being likewise self-bailing and self-filling when the hatch is closed,'and a closure for the hatch within the hatch trunk.

8. A submersible vessel having a strong hull adapted to withstand. the pressure of deep submergence, an elevated navigating bridge, a self-bailing and self-filling housing shaped to constitute a fairwater and supporting said bridge, an observation tower about which said housing is built, a hatch in the hull, a closure for the hatch, a hatch trunk within the housing leading from the hatch to the bridge, a seupper in the, hatch trunk, a closure for saidscupper, and connections for closing the seupper when the hatch is open and opening it when the hatch I is closed.

9. In a submersible vessel, the combination with a hatch and cover therefor, of a hatch trunk upstanding from said hatch and provided with a scupper, and a closure forsaid seupper connected to and adapted to be actuated by said cover to be closed when said hatch is opened and opened when the hatch is closed.

1 0. In a submersible vessel, the combination with a water-tight hull having ahatch LAWRENCE Y. srEAR. HUGO E. GRIESI-lABER.

Witnesses:

F. T. BRAKE, C. H. BEDELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the llommissio'ner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0. 

